The Northern Lights will be running wild when HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA brings its nationwide broadcast to the Yukon on Saturday, Feb. 12, beginning at 12 noon ET. Ron MacLean and Don Cherry will host live from the Canada Games Centre and Takhini Arena in Whitehorse, YK along with fellow CBC stars and hosts Scott Morrison, Kevin Weekes, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Jeff Marek, Tim Wharnsby, Scott Oake and Kelly Hrudey. The NHL Alumni will also have a strong presence at the weeklong event with Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark, Pat Quinn, Mark Napier, Ken Dryden, Brad May and Reggie Leach along with Olympians Daniel Goyette and Kelly Bechard.

The 2011 edition of HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA will celebrate “Trailblazers”, showcasing the many ways in which hockey inspires leadership, innovation and exploration in Canadians – both in the past and the present. In recognition of this shaping influence over Canadian life, the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers will make the journey to Whitehorse with a marquee afternoon league scheduled matchup at 4:00pm ET.

To ensure the coast-to-coast-to-coast character of this year’s broadcast, satellite locations will be established in Cole Harbour, NS, Quebec City, QC, Oakville, ON, Regina, SK, and Victoria B.C. with a host of community events also taking place across the country to mark HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA:

Cole Harbour, N.S. (Satellite Location) – CBC Sports’ Bruce Rainnie will report from Sydney Crosby’s hometown as the Pittsburgh Penguin’s great partners with the NHLPA’s Goals and Dreams fund to donate 87 sets of hockey equipment to children throughout Nova Scotia.

Victoria, B.C. (Satellite Location) – CBC Sports’ Karin Larsen reports from CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA’S Play On! Street Hockey Championships with more than 60 teams from across the country competing for the Redwood Cup.

HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA will also bring audiences a host of stories featuring “Trailblazers” from across the country whose experiences reflect the spirit of community and commitment that flows from the game of hockey, including:

“Trailblazing Sisters” – Yukon Girls Hockey Team members, Savannah and Dana Van Vliet from Haines Junction, YK showcase the meaning of determination as they prepare for this winter’s Canada Winter Games in Halifax.

“Ross River Renewal” – Chronicling RCMP officer Adam Lightfoot rink refurbishing project in Ross River to heal and nurture collective spirit of this small community through hockey

“Weyburn Legend – Dwight McMillan” – Kelly Hrudey travels to Weyburn Saskatchewan as the town celebrates the 50th anniversary of their local Red Wings hockey club and where he’ll meet and speak with local coaching legend Dwight McMillan.

“Sydney River’s Captain Hook” – At the age of 85, Sydney River’s Michael “Captain Hook” Campbell still plays hockey at least 70 times a year fully 65 years after he suited up with the Sydney Millionaires.

“Annual Cree Tournament” – From the Waskaganish Cree Nation and the Whapmagoostui Cree Nation on the Hudson’s Bay, more than 65 Cree teams converge on Val D’or for the 30th Annual Senior Cree Hockey Tournament.

“Dawson City Nuggets” – In 1905 the Dawson City Nuggets undertook a grueling journey to challenge the defending Stanley Cup Champion, The Ottawa Silver Seven. A game that resulted in the most lopsided match in the history of the Stanley Cup, but the legacy of their example and their journey lives on.

At 2 p.m. ET, the all-Canadian NHL tripleheader takes centre stage as the Oilers host Ottawa at Rexall Place in Edmonton, followed by Hockey Tonight, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Toronto takes on Montreal at Bell Centre, at 7 p.m. ET followed by Vancouver and Calgary in the late game of the evening’s tripleheader at 10 p.m. ET. Punjabi Night in Canada with Harnarayan Singh and Amar Singh will bring viewers the Leafs/Habs and Canucks/Flames matchups, while Telelatino (TLN) will provide the 7 p.m. ET Original Six game in Spanish and in English.

In addition, CBC NEWS’ Peter Mansbridge will host two special broadcasts of The National from Whitehorse, on Thursday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 11, at 10 p.m. local on CBC Television, and 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBC News Network.

CBC News Network’S Carole MacNeil will provide full coverage of the week’s events both in Whitehorse and right across the country including events and appearances by CBC Sports Stars, NHL alumni and local stories. HNIC Radio on SIRIUS and host Jeff Marek will be live on-site in Whitehorse with special guests throughout the week, on SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s Channels 97 and 127, from 4 to 7 p.m. ET. HNIC Radio on SIRIUS features intelligent hockey talk and insight and debate, keeping fans up-to-date on all the breaking news and issues from the world of hockey.

In the days preceding HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA, Whitehorse will play host to a variety of special events including visits from local and nationwide celebrities. On Wednesday Feb. 9, in recognition of the historic journey of the Dawson City Nuggets, the Ottawa Senators Alumni will face off against a Dawson City hockey club. On Thursday Feb. 10, a special night of Canadian music will be headlined by musicians and avowed hockey-lovers Dave Bidini and Sarah Harmer. On Friday, Feb. 11 Scott Morrison will host a community banquet in Whitehorse featuring NHL alumni and veterans and on Saturday, Feb. 12 the winners of Scotiabank’s Big Save Contest, New Brunswick’s Petitcodiac-Salisbury Bantam “A” Flyers will play a local minor hockey team at the Canada Games Centre. Throughout the week, NHL veterans and stars of CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will host hockey clinics, visit local schools with special appearances by the Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup.

Hockey fans can visit CBCSports.ca/hockeyday for live and on-demand streaming of HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA, including coverage from the satellite locations, the three all-Canadian match-ups and much more.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. With 28 services offered on Radio, Television, the Internet, satellite radio, digital audio, as well as through its record and music distribution service and wireless WAP and SMS messaging services, CBC/Radio-Canada is available how, where, and when Canadians want it.

Pittsburgh fans definitely got prepared for their Super Bowl Sunday by tuning into the Penguins early in big numbers on NBC, while ratings in Washington were well down from the big numbers the well-publicized “snowed in” game between the teams on the same network drew last year.

According to an NBC spokesman, the network drew an 11.1/20 rating in the Pittsburgh market for Sunday’s game between the Penguins and Capitals at 12:30 PM ET. Meanwhile, the Capitals fans watching in Washington market scored a 3.3/7, as well as a 2.0/5 in nearby Baltimore. While both markets did very good (and above their local cable averages this season) they are notably down from that oft-noted game on February 7, 2011.

That game drew a 12.4/22 in Pittsburgh (2011’s game down 11%), and a 5.3/10 in the Washington market (down 38%). Baltimore numbers from last year are unavailable. This was also the case nationally, with numbers down 30% from the game between the teams last year.

The numbers were obviously down in both markets from the mammoth performance of the Winter Classic, which averaged a 32.4/47 in Pittsburgh and a 7.9/14 in Washington. Baltimore drew a 6.6/11 for that game.

Rare that I have an opportunity to promote myself, but here’s a piece Chris Botta was nice enough to allow me to write for his internet haven, Islanders Point Blank:

As the Islanders hit the bottom of the NHL’s local TV ratings race, they have to be concerned that a season with a circus atmosphere at times has been largely ignored by viewers on television – even more than in the past.

Islanders telecasts are averaging a discouraging 0.3 household rating in the New York market on MSG Network and its affiliates, down 23% from the 2009-10 campaign, and 17% from the end of last season. They are averaging approximately 24,000 households per game. The Islanders rank 28th among NHL teams in local ratings, ahead of only Atlanta (0.26) and Florida (0.19). Due to the size of the New York market, however, they are far from the bottom five in households tuning in, which featured five NHL teams at 10,000 households or lower.

Super Bowl Sunday was not as super for the NHL on NBC this year, as the network’s Penguins/Capitals game suffered a 30% decline in overnight ratings.

The Capitals’ 3-0 win over the Penguins Sunday afternoon earned a 1.0 overnight rating on NBC, down 30% from the same matchup last year (PIT/WSH: 1.3), but up 25% from the network’s Super Bowl Sunday game in 2008 (NYR/MTL: 0.8).

NBC did not air a Super Bowl Sunday game in 2009.

The 1.0 overnight is down a tick from NBC’s first indoor NHL telecast of the season, a Flyers/Blackhawks game on January 23 (1.1).

Overnights for NHL On NBC telecasts so far this season after the jump.